Shaft-handle-retainihg- means



- Dem-29 1925 1,567,575 J. CUNNINGHAM SHAFT HANDLE RETAINING MEANS FiledFeb. 29, 1924 5] vwankw,

Gamma Patented Dec. 29, 1925,

JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM, OF GLEN CARBON, ILLINOIS.

SHAFT-HANDLE-RETAINING MEANS.

Application filed February 29, 1924. Serial No. 696,095.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Glen Carbon, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Handle-Retaining Means, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to crank shafts of any form of powermachine and has more particular reference to a means whereby the handcrank that affords a means for manually turning said crank shaft may bepositively retained thereon without the liability of the same slippingfrom the end of the shaft during the manual turning operation thereof.

' In a great number of machines where a detachable crank handle isemployed for manually rotating the shaft, it is generally the practiceto employ a cotter key for retaining the handle upon the end of theshaft. It often times happens that the op erator of the machine willoverlook the practice of using said cotter key which will often timesresult in the crank handle slipping from the shaft and some timesresulting in injury.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide apositive means for retaining handles upon the ends of crank shafts andthis by the provision of simple and inexpensive means.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as the nature of theinvention will be better understood, the same comprises the novel form,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate correspondingparts throughout both of the views,

Figure 1 is an end View of a crank shaft partly in side elevation andpartly in cross section, the same being equipped with my improved meansfor retaining the hand crank upon the end thereof, said hand crank beingshown in dotted lines, and

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the end of the crank shaft thatcarries said hand crank retaining means.

,Now having particular reference to the drawing, 5 indicates the crankshaft of any form of power machine, and in this instance the same isformed at its outer end with a tapered squared portion 6 that is formedwith a longitudinal slot or pocket 7 and over which is adapted to bedetachably engaged a well known form of crank turning handle 8.

As a means for positively maintaining said crank handle 8 upon thetapered squared end 6 of said shaft 5 during the manual turning of saidshaft through the medium of this handle, there is disposed within saidslot 7 a relatively elongated dog 9 pivoted within the front end of theslot through the medium of a set screw designated 10.

The forward end of this relatively elongated dog 9 is formed upon itsouter edge with an extension 11 for providing adjacent the end of saiddog, a shoulder 12.

Disposed within the slot 7 rearwardly of said dog 9 is a curved bandspring 13 that serves as a means for normally swinging the forward endof said dog 9 outwardly of the end of said slot 7 as shown in Figure 1.For limiting the outward swinging movement of this dog within said slot,the inner end of the same is provided with an extension lug or finger 14that is adapted to engage within a notch 15 formed at the inner end ofsaid slot 7.

It will therefore be seen that upon an application of the crank handle 8to this squared and tapered end 6 of the shaft 5, said dog 6 will beforced into the slot 7 for allowing the positioning of the handle uponthe shaft in the manner as shown in the dotted lines of Figure 1. Theshoulder 12 formed upon said dog will engage in back of the shaftengaging portion of the handle for positively preventing the accidentaldisplacement of the handle with respect to the shaft, and in the eventthat it is desired to remove the handle from the shaft, the dog may beswung inwardly by depressing with the. thumb or forefinger, theprojecting end of said dog.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a highly novel, efficient andsimplified means for positively retaining hand cranks upon the ends ofcrank shafts, and even though I have herein shown and described the mostpractical embodiment of the invention with which I am at this timefamiliar, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may bemade therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is A device of the class described comprising ashaft tapered at its free end,-said tapered portion being polygonal incross section and being formed in one flat face With a recess providinga pocket, the outer end of the recess being closed and disposed inwardlyof the corresponding end of the shaft, said pocket being open only uponits top, there being a notch formed at the opposite end of the recess, alatch of a length substantially equal to the length of said pocket, ashaftextending crosswise of said pocket, said latch being pivoted at itsinner end upon said shaft, said latch being formed at its outer end Withan angular extension pro viding a shoulder and having an extension atits inner end projecting into a notch provided at the adjacent end ofsaid pocket, and a spring arranged in said pocket be tween the'bottom ofthe same and said latch.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature JOSEPH ounmnanan.

